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Projected Opening Day Roster


Doohicksie

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Posted

I can't even begin to guess what is going to happen on defense, but on offense I'll start with:

 

Vanek-Connolly-Stafford

MacArthur-Roy-Pommer

Hecht-Gaustad-Grier

Paille-Ellis-Kaleta

Scratch: McCormick

IR: Mair

Looks like Lindy agrees except for switching Pommer and Stafford:

The Sabres had two groups on the practice ice, but it looks like the lines are coming together. Tim Connolly is centering Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, Derek Roy is between Clarke MacArthur and Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad heads up a checking line with Jochen Hecht and Mike Grier. Matt Ellis centers Dan Paille and Pat Kaleta. Another line has Tim Kennedy between Nathan Gerbe and Cody McCormick.

http://www.wgr550.com/Looks-like-lines-are-taking-shape/5250141

:thumbsup:

Posted

The scary thing about the whole Tallinder situation is interesting because alot of players usually and I say usually have a good season because they want to attract offers from other teams or want a nice pay raise since he will be an unrestricted free agent. In a way I hope he does well at least that way he's trade bait and might be able to fetch some picks or a player.

Posted

Looks like Lindy agrees except for switching Pommer and Stafford:

Quote

 

The Sabres had two groups on the practice ice, but it looks like the lines are coming together. Tim Connolly is centering Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville, Derek Roy is between Clarke MacArthur and Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad heads up a checking line with Jochen Hecht and Mike Grier. Matt Ellis centers Dan Paille and Pat Kaleta. Another line has Tim Kennedy between Nathan Gerbe and Cody McCormick.

http://www.wgr550.co...g-shape/5250141

:thumbsup:

 

With Mair on IR I wonder in my own head whether to keep Ellis or play Mair? Maybe bench or send down Paille to play Mair? Yeah, I don't know. Thoughts?

Posted

I think Grier should be on a line with Connolly. Timmay needs someone on his line to intimidate people so he doesn't get his a$$ handed to him all the time. But then again, Stafford isn't a frail flower. I don't know.

Posted

Unless there is a trade or they risk losing a veteran through waivers as they attempt to send them to Portland, I just don't see where there is any room for Kennedy, Gerbe, Ennis, Schutz(has had a good camp from what I have heard), Weber or Myers. None of these prospects are going to be best served by sitting in NHL press boxes.

 

14 Forwards - Vanek, Connolly, Pominville, Roy, Stafford, MacArthur, Gaustad, Grier, Hecht, Kaleta, Paille, Ellis, Mair & McCormick(any of the latter 4 are better off in the press box on any given night instead of the youngsters)

 

7 Defensemen - Rivet, Butler, Lydman, Tallinder, Sekera, Montador & Paetsch

 

If this is the case, they added Grier, McCormick and Montador and subtracted Max, Kotalk and Teppo for a net gain of somewhere between 8th and 10th place again.

Posted

Unless there is a trade or they risk losing a veteran through waivers as they attempt to send them to Portland, I just don't see where there is any room for Kennedy, Gerbe, Ennis, Schutz(has had a good camp from what I have heard), Weber or Myers. None of these prospects are going to be best served by sitting in NHL press boxes.

 

14 Forwards - Vanek, Connolly, Pominville, Roy, Stafford, MacArthur, Gaustad, Grier, Hecht, Kaleta, Paille, Ellis, Mair & McCormick(any of the latter 4 are better off in the press box on any given night instead of the youngsters)

 

7 Defensemen - Rivet, Butler, Lydman, Tallinder, Sekera, Montador & Paetsch

 

If this is the case, they added Grier, McCormick and Montador and subtracted Max, Kotalk and Teppo for a net gain of somewhere between 8th and 10th place again.

 

Paetsch is pretty expendable if you want to bring Weber or Myers in--and I'm not sure you do. And your note regarding the forwards is correct; there is room to bring in a youngster if he's shining.

Posted

Vanek/Connolly/Stafford

Kennedy/Roy/Pomminstein

Hecht/Gaustad/Grier

Kaleta/MacArthur/Paille

 

Sniper/Playmaker/Power Forward

Playmaker/Playmaker/Sniper

Grinder/Grinder/Grinder

Hit/Jam/Jam

I'm having a hard time putting "jam" on the label of Mac and Paille. I like where clarke's game is going, and he battles, but I would hardly consider him a "jam" type of player. As for Paille... :rolleyes:

 

McCormick will play a Peters role.

He's not big enough and IMHO, won't fight anywhere near as often as Peters.

 

I have no reasoning behind his statement but I tell you without a doubt Myers will be a top 5 defensman with the Sabres to start the season and he will be on the roster for the year...

If he makes it, the Sabres have an agenda.

 

Paetsch is pretty expendable if you want to bring Weber or Myers in--and I'm not sure you do.

I'm not certain Darcy shares that opinion of Nathan. They love their "assets".

Posted

 

 

I'm not certain Darcy shares that opinion of Nathan. They love their "assets".

 

On this one, I think it may be Ruff. No inside information or anything, just a hunch that Ruff sees a bit of himself in a guy who plays both defense and wing.

Posted

On this one, I think it may be Ruff. No inside information or anything, just a hunch that Ruff sees a bit of himself in a guy who plays both defense and wing.

 

So you're saying that Paetsch likes to throw out a lot of witty one liners?

Posted

So you're saying that Paetsch likes to throw out a lot of witty one liners?

 

Personally, I hate Paetsch. He doesn't do anything particularly well. Then again, he doesn't do anything particularly awful either. He's a perennial #8 D-Man or emergency forward, as he is as good as he is ever going to get, and management would rather play a youngster with potential over him. He is hopefully accepting of his position.

 

I think he should be assigned to my local ECHL team. He would be fawned over here, and could contribute to our shallow gene pool every night of the week, hopefully settle here after fathering a couple lines, and become a coach for our youth hockey organization

Posted

Personally, I hate Paetsch. He doesn't do anything particularly well. Then again, he doesn't do anything particularly awful either. He's a perennial #8 D-Man or emergency forward, as he is as good as he is ever going to get, and management would rather play a youngster with potential over him. He is hopefully accepting of his position.

 

I think he should be assigned to my local ECHL team. He would be fawned over here, and could contribute to our shallow gene pool every night of the week, hopefully settle here after fathering a couple lines, and become a coach for our youth hockey organization

 

 

Guess this in the wrong thread, probably should have gone in the random observations/ thread.

Posted

Guess this in the wrong thread, probably should have gone in the random observations/ thread.

 

 

On a positive note, I am now a fourth liner, having penned my 50th post. I am a bit embarrassed that it took me a month and a half to do it, though. The record seems to be about 12 hours.

Posted

Personally, I hate Paetsch. He doesn't do anything particularly well. Then again, he doesn't do anything particularly awful either. He's a perennial #8 D-Man or emergency forward, as he is as good as he is ever going to get, and management would rather play a youngster with potential over him. He is hopefully accepting of his position.

 

I think he should be assigned to my local ECHL team. He would be fawned over here, and could contribute to our shallow gene pool every night of the week, hopefully settle here after fathering a couple lines, and become a coach for our youth hockey organization

:lol: I think he accepts his role and personally I like the fact that he's versatile. Leaves options open for Lindy and Darcy. His game is nothing to be ashamed of. He can chip in a little offensively and isn't terribly easy to play against.

Posted

:lol: I think he accepts his role and personally I like the fact that he's versatile. Leaves options open for Lindy and Darcy. His game is nothing to be ashamed of. He can chip in a little offensively and isn't terribly easy to play against.

 

 

What you say is all true, but he should never see the ice except in an emergency. There are so many young bucks in this organization, and the possibility of a call up is a great carrot/reward for the guys toiling away in Portland. They may not be as responsible defensively, but I would much rather see the kids with a potential future cut their teeth than Paetsch.

Posted

What you say is all true, but he should never see the ice except in an emergency. There are so many young bucks in this organization, and the possibility of a call up is a great carrot/reward for the guys toiling away in Portland. They may not be as responsible defensively, but I would much rather see the kids with a potential future cut their teeth than Paetsch.

I think you'll get your wish. Short term injuries/suspensions/benchings, Nate will get the call. Anything longterm/season ending/major doghouse time, and we'll see Weber/Myers.

Posted

What you say is all true, but he should never see the ice except in an emergency. There are so many young bucks in this organization, and the possibility of a call up is a great carrot/reward for the guys toiling away in Portland. They may not be as responsible defensively, but I would much rather see the kids with a potential future cut their teeth than Paetsch.

That's why Paetsch sits in the pressbox and those kids actually play games in Portland. They'll get called up and put it often before Nathan gets a chance. However, Paetsch does give you one advantage that was put to use last year. Spacek, I believe, was returning from an injury and they weren't sure that he'd be able to play the full game. So, they dressed Paetsch on the fourth line - where he played very well, by the way - and had him as a backup defensemen if Spacek decided that he couldn't continue.

Posted

Well, here's the first line:

 

Thomas Vanek, Drew Stafford and Derek Roy

 

http://www.wgr550.co...st-Line/5292396

 

Second line has to be MacArthur, Connolly, and JJ Pommers.

 

Geez, I hope so ... if Ruff is still thinking of playing Pominville with Hecht in any way, I will be disappointed. The Hecht-Gaustad-Grier line is a nice checking line, don't overthink it.

Posted

Geez, I hope so ... if Ruff is still thinking of playing Pominville with Hecht in any way, I will be disappointed. The Hecht-Gaustad-Grier line is a nice checking line, don't overthink it.

It will be 30 minutes or so into the first game of the year before Ruff starts his season long line juggling. <_<

Posted

It will be 30 minutes or so into the first game of the year before Ruff starts his season long line juggling. <_<

 

It's hardly a Ruff-only thing though. Just about every coach out there mixes his lines up non-stop. How many times now have we heard that the Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley line is breaking up/getting back together (never again!)?

Posted

Geez, I hope so ... if Ruff is still thinking of playing Pominville with Hecht in any way, I will be disappointed. The Hecht-Gaustad-Grier line is a nice checking line, don't overthink it.

 

Don't say that too loud, you will wake up the troll. :cry:

Posted

It's hardly a Ruff-only thing though. Just about every coach out there mixes his lines up non-stop. How many times now have we heard that the Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley line is breaking up/getting back together (never again!)?

Maybe so. I don't see enough of the other teams on a night to night basis to compare.

Posted

It's hardly a Ruff-only thing though. Just about every coach out there mixes his lines up non-stop. How many times now have we heard that the Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley line is breaking up/getting back together (never again!)?

 

 

I agree ... in fact I was looking forward to possibly Vanek with Pommer and Connolly and Roy and Stafford with MacArthur or something ... if anything Ruff may have stuck with Roy-Vanek-Stafford too long based on a few great weeks like a year and a half ago ... and he seems reluctant to play Pominville without Hecht ... he does tinker but not like he used to, he falls in love with some pairings if not whole lines.

Posted

Maybe so. I don't see enough of the other teams on a night to night basis to compare.

 

I enjoyed a national championship season last year where only one line stuck together for most of the season. That right there gives line shuffling a free pass in my mind.

Posted

I think Pommers and Connolly should be on a line together - especially if Pommers keeps up his "new" level of play.

 

But those two need someone on their line who is willing to crash the net, and that is not MacArthur.

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